Cornelia
by Merciless Angels Never Cry
Summary: Letting go is easier said than done.


**Author's Note: **Just an idea that I got after playing the Dollhouse side quest in Covenant a while back. Hope you enjoy, please review. Sorry for my poor French!

**11****th**** July 1893**

It was a hot summer's day in Provence, France. The sun shone gently on the field, filled to the brim with lavenders. A cool soft breeze caused the lavenders to dance in a breath-taking ballet of purple. Towards the end of the field, a large wooden house stood proudly over the flowers' grace. A man in his late thirties, carrying two large suitcases, walked along the dirt road leading up to the house. As he got to the porch, a blonde woman got up and beamed at the man, arms outstretched.

"Bonjour, Gepetto!" she squeezed him a little and stepped back, reaching for one of the suitcases.

"Bonjour mon femme. No I'll get that," he smiled lifting the heavy weights again. "Could you get the door for me Sophie? My hands are a bit full." Sophie opened the door and followed her husband in. Gepetto set one of his suitcases on the table. "How is she?"

His wife sat down at the table, rubbing her forehead. "She was coughing a lot today; I gave her a bit of honey to sooth her throat. The coughing has eased down since this morning, but she's still having a few problems."

Gepetto nodded and went upstairs with his second suitcase. He walked down the hall and knocked on the door. He opened it slightly and popped his head around it. A small, pale girl with long elegant golden locks of hair, perfectly framing her small face, beamed at the man who entered. "Papa!"

He sat down beside and kissed her cheek, "Bonjour my little Cornelia," he lifted the suitcase onto his lap and opened it. "I got a present for you." Cornelia's chocolate brown eyes shone as she saw the pretty marionette doll that Gepetto gave her, "You made this for me?"

Gepetto chuckled as he gently patted her head. "Of course I did! Just for my precious little princess!" He watched with a satisfied look on his face as his daughter admire the frilly pink floral dress of the new doll.

"I'm going to call her, Penelopé," Cornelia declared. "I'll put her next to Anna-Marie, because she's very nice to new members of the family." Cornelia named every doll that her father gave her and each of them had numerous personalities. Anna-Marie was one of the first dolls he gave her and "she" made sure that all the new dolls were welcome into their "family". Neither of her parent's minded, she was too sick to go outside and make new friends, so it was one of the reasons why she adored her dolls so much; they gave her company.

Gepetto was a famous puppeteer in Paris, they got a holiday home in Provence for Cornelia when the doctor advised that it might benefit her if she got away from the city. Gepetto loved his daughter dearly, but he still had to earn money for the family. As a way for her not to get so lonely, he made dozens of dolls for her. He was always sorry he couldn't be with his beloved daughter more often, but there was nothing he could do.

He started to rub her back as she began to cough violently. "Maybe a bit of fresh air would do you good," he murmured, picking Cornelia up and taking her to the porch. She curled up on his lap and watched the sun set.

"Papa?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"What happens when I die?"

A lump built itself up quickly in his throat. "You're not going to die, Cornelia," he whispered.

Cornelia frowned, not satisfied with her answer. "But what does happen?"

Gepetto took in a deep breath and said calmly, "Well, you'll fall into a deep peaceful sleep."

"And what happens then?" she looked up at him, her eyes filled with wonder.

He fell silent for a few moments, thinking very carefully of how he was going to approach this. "They're will be two angels waiting for you at the gates of heaven."

"What is heaven like Papa?"

"Well it's full of lavenders."

"Lavenders? My favourite? Just like the ones here?"

"Easy Cornelia! And yes. There are fields upon fields of them, where people dance and play with all of God's creatures, great and small. And all the people you love will be there, so you will never be alone, ever."

Cornelia started to cough again. Gepetto picked her up again and put her back to bed. "Will my dollies be there too?" she rasped. "They'll be lonely if I go."

Tears started to well up in his eyes. "Of course sweetheart. I love you," kissing her forehead. "Love you too," she whispered and cuddled into her new doll.

**28****th**** September 1893**

Everyone was dressed in black. It was raining in Paris and they had just brought the body back from Provence for the wake. The whole family gathered around to mourn the death of little Cornelia. Gepetto stood near the small open coffin holding his wife. Loud, anguished sobs escaped from her chest. Gepetto looked at his deathly pale daughter dressed in a snow white dress giving her an eerie angelic appearance. She was holding Anna-Marie and lavenders were placed around the body, her favourite.

Gepetto's chest heaved as he tried to hold his anger; I should have been there with her when she passed away! What sort of parent am I for leaving my child in her time of need!

Cornelia's lips seemed to curl up, was it all in his head? She must be happy in her field of lavenders…

**Present Day 1915**

"Hey, old fart!"

The hunched over old man stared into the crimson eyes of the half-Japanese, half-Russian Harmonixer. "What?"

"Ya sorta blanked out there for a minute," Yuri raised an eyebrow, straightening himself up, causing his leather clothes to creak. The red haired German walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You miss her don't you?" Gepetto nodded glumly, staring at his marionette.

"Huh?"

"Yuri!"

"What?"

"Don't be so rude!" Karin snapped at him, her blue eyes flashing him a warning.

The Russian princess frowned and folded her arms. "Don't tell me he forgot already!" It was true that it was only a few days ago since they fought Baal who disguised himself to be the spirit of the puppeteer's daughter in order to claim his soul for his own. Since then, he has been…distant. Not physically, but mentally. It is the worst thing in the world for a parent to lose their child.

His marionette, Cornelia, the one designed to look exactly like his daughter, seemed to smile, like when she seemed to smile in the coffin all those years ago. You were always with me weren't you? A sad smile creased his face, he just had another small dedication to her in mind. Problem is, he'd have to find another Stud Card just to get Pierre to make this kind of dress. A lavender dress.


End file.
